During an investigation by The Chicago Tribune, research showed that teachers and principals failed to alert police after sexual abuse allegations against school employees. It is the law to report. In fact, the investigation revealed that there were over 500 cases of employee sexual abuse or assault. However, the district only investigated roughly 230 cases.
About Sexual Harassment
It is important that when unwelcome conduct crosses the line and becomes severe or pervasive enough to create an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment to seek the advice from a qualified employment lawyer experienced in sexual harassment cases for advice and help. Men and women both are guilty of sexual harassment. A harasser can be anyone. He or she can be a supervisor, coworker or even a non-employee of the company. Anyone affected by offensive conduct could be eligible for a claim, even if he or she is not a direct victim of sexual harassment.
Public Schools Sexual Harassment
The Chicago Tribune’s investigation uncovered that many teachers and principals covered up sexual harassment allegations against school employees. The school employees included teachers, coaches, security workers, administrators, custodians, school bus drivers, counselors and lunchroom workers. One teacher even installed a motion-activated camera in an elementary school bathroom.
The main issue of the high number of sexual harassment or misconduct is ineffective background checks and disclosure failures. These exposed students to educators with a history of sex crimes against children. Then, many school administrators failed to notify the authorities of allegations. These issues happened within schools, the district’s central office and even at the state government levels.
Common Occurrence
This isn’t just a Chicago problem. This is a national issue. Sexual harassment is part of everyday life in middle and high schools. A study researching almost 2,000 students from grades 712 revealed that 48% experienced some form of sexual harassment. The harassment included unwelcome sexual comments, jokes, or gestures along with physical harassment. Sexual harassment by text, e-mail, Facebook, or other electronic means affected nearly one-third of students.
Also, many students were personal witnesses of sexual harassment at school. Almost 60% of the surveyed students saw more than one sexual harassment occurrence over the course of a single school year. The prevalence of sexual harassment is due to underreporting. The survey showed that 29% of administrations did nothing after receiving a student’s complaint.
Free Legal Consultation
If you have experienced sexual harassment in any form in the workplace or at school, you should contact a qualified employment attorney as soon as possible. If the harassment has not stopped after making a formal complaint, consulting a complex litigation attorney is your best option. The Michael Brady Lynch Firm will be able to provide further guidance, help you file a claim, and help you build a case that will end the harassment. We have over 20 years of helping victims. Our consultations are free. Contact us today.